Rovers face Exeter City at The Memorial Stadium tomorrow for the 86th league meetings between the sides.
The Grecians have won 29 of the past 85 games, while Rovers have won 27 and 29 games have ended all square while Rovers have scored 121 goals and Exeter 119.
The first meetings took place in the inaugural Third Division campaign of 1920/21 when Rovers were 5-0 winners on May 2nd, 1921 (even back then it was a date to remember!) though Exeter gained their revenge with a 1-0 win at their ground just five days later.
This season’s league encounter, down at Exeter on Boxing Day 2024, saw The Grecians run out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Jack Fitzwater, Millenic Alli and Jake Richards, after Promise Omochere had given Rovers the lead. It was a day that Head Coach Inigo Calderon won’t forget, as he was introduced to the travelling Gasheads ahead of the game before taking his seat in the stand to watch his new side in action.
There are many connections between the clubs; on the managerial/coaching side, former Rovers’ boss Matt Taylor who arrived in BS7, from Rotherham, on 1st December 2023 is the most recent name to have managed both clubs. He was Exeter’s manager from June 2018 until October 2022.
Both clubs have been associated with an England World Cup winner in Alan Ball and an England captain in Gerry Francis. Ball, Exeter’s manager from July 1991 until January 1993, ended his playing career with Rovers, scoring twice in 17 league games at the end of the 1982/83 campaign.
Francis played for, and managed, both clubs and he guided Rovers to promotion as Third Division Champions in 1990. He later returned for a second stint as manager in the summer of 2001, though left before Christmas that year.
Paul Tisdale played for Exeter and was the club’s manager for 12 years from 2006. He became Rovers’ boss in November 2020 though his tenure lasted only until February 2021.
In four spells as an Exeter player Paul Buckle racked up 191 league appearances. After four years in charge of Torquay United he was appointed manager of Rovers in the summer of 2011 but was sacked in January 2012 after a disastrous time in charge.
Former Rovers’ goalkeeping coaches Len Bond and Stuart Naylor both played for Exeter, while Wayne Carlisle, who played for both clubs, went on to become part of the management team at St James Park and was also assistant to Taylor at both Rotherham and Rovers.
Marcus Stewart, also played for both clubs and ended his playing career at the Memorial Stadium, when he turned out for Exeter against Rovers. He later returned to Rovers and was assistant to Darrell Clarke when we won back to back promotions in 2015 and 2016. Goalkeeper Kevin Miller is another to have played for both and he returned to St James Park as Exeter’s goalkeeping coach in December 2022.
Francis, Carlisle, Stewart and Miller are among a long list of players to have played for both clubs and are in good company, as you can see from the following list of post war names; Pat Baldwin, Frankie Bennett, Hiram Boateng, Ryan Brunt, Danny Coles, Peter Cawley, Ian Davies, Brian Doyle, Richard Dryden, Rhys Evans, Richard Evans, Joe Gadston, Brian Gayle, Matt Gill, Jake Gosling, Bert Hoyle, Lee Hodges, Ian Hamilton, Alan Gow, David Lee, Aidan McCaffery, David Mehew, Trevor Morgan, Tom Nichols, Eliot Richards, Frankie Prince, Graeme Power, Dick Plumb, Martin Phillips, Tom Parkes, Mark O’Connor, Phil Roberts, Gary Sawyer, Liam Sercombe, Robbie Turner, Lee Zabek, Danny Woodards, Graham Withey and Adam Virgo.
Post war Rovers players who have made their Rovers debut against Exeter include; Edward Parsons, Michael Tippett, Ken Ronaldson, Steve Bailey, Errington Kelly, Ian McLean, Dave Pritchard, Neil Ross, James Quinn, James Thomas, Tom Eaves, Derek Riordan, Shaquille Hunter, Rory Gaffney, Brandon Aguilera, Elkan Baggott and Harry Vaughan.
Exeter, currently in 15th place with 49 points from 41 games, were in action on Tuesday evening when they drew 1-1 against Wigan Athletic at St James Park. They have won six, drawn three and lost nine of their 20 away games to date, scoring 16 goals and conceding 25.
Rovers, down in 20th place with 42 points from 41 games, haven’t played since last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers, their fifth successive defeat. Rovers have won nine, drawn four and lost seven of their 20 home games, scoring 30 goals and conceding 28.
Gasheads don’t need me to tell them that as far as Rovers are concerned it’s a must win game and whilst we can all play our part by getting behind the team it’s down to those out on the pitch to take the game to Exeter and end the afternoon with three valuable points as we scrap to put a bigger gap between ourselves and the bottom four.
Let’s make it an intimidating atmosphere for our visitors and that the players give us a performance to be proud of. Enjoy the game.
UTG!